Flatlander Expanse - Part 6 - Uranium City!

 

Arrival in Uranium City

The first thing you notice is the glow.

It's not natural—neither sunlight nor torchlight—but a sickly, shifting hue that pulses beneath the earth and stains the sky like a bruise. A tangle of warped roads and melted signage leads you toward the ruined outskirts, where twisted buildings slump like exhausted skeletons, their concrete bones wrapped in rusted rebar. Wind carries the sour scent of ozone, scorched plastic, and something faintly metallic, like old blood on steel.

Your Geiger counters begin to tick—softly at first, then with increasing urgency. It’s a reminder: here, the land breathes radiation like air.

You pass through the Ghost Streets, where shadows move a little too deliberately. On broken walls, glowing graffiti reads “THE VEINS REMEMBER” in a child's handwriting. A figure in a lead-lined robe watches from a crumbling window. You’re not sure if they blink—or even if they have eyes.

Then, as the fog clears, Uranium City reveals itself.

A tangle of makeshift bunkers, mushrooming cult towers, and scavenged arcano-reactors clustered around the jagged wound of the Radiant Veins. Aircraft stitched together from scrap and sorcery wheel overhead, while mutated beasts prowl alleyways thick with dust and dreamlike decay. You glimpse traders wrapped in tinfoil shawls, arguing with cultists glowing from within.

Somewhere, an old speaker crackles out the haunting warble of a pre-Hodgepocalypse national anthem—twisted, staticky, and a little too slow.

This is Uranium City.
Once a forgotten mining town.
Now, the last place on Earth where power, magic, and madness still bleed from the same wound.

And you’ve just walked into the heart of it.

Uranium City is a haven for nuclear wizards, bomb-worshipping cults, and sentient, radioactive mines. In this post-apocalyptic sandbox, magic and radiation merge to create dangerous power struggles, mutated creatures, and dark rituals.

History

 Real-World Beginnings

Uranium City, Saskatchewan, was founded in the 1950s as a mining town during the uranium boom, and it was established to support the Eldorado Mining and Refining operations. It was a thriving, remote community built on the extraction of uranium ore, pivotal in fueling Cold War-era nuclear energy and weaponry. At its peak, the city had schools, hospitals, and infrastructure designed to accommodate the workers and their families. However, when the uranium market declined in the 1980s, the mines closed, and Uranium City was largely abandoned, leaving behind a ghost town in the harsh wilderness of northern Canada.

Hodgepocalypse Transformation

Uranium City was forever changed after the Hodgepocalypse—a world-shattering event that fused technology, magic, and apocalyptic destruction. The blast waves and magical fallout replenished the mines, infusing them with sentient energy. These newly awakened Radiant Veins became a source of magical and radioactive power. The city, once desolate, became a beacon for those seeking to tap into the magical properties of uranium and rebuild their lives in this transformed world.

Survivors, scavengers, and outcasts from the surrounding lands, attracted by rumors of magic and wealth, began to trickle in. They quickly learned that the land itself had changed, as the mines seemed to have a will of their own, controlling the flow of uranium and creating unpredictable hazards. Those who survived these early attempts to extract resources discovered a new kind of magic—nucleomancy—which drew its power from the irradiated magic of the mines.

Founding of the Post-Hodgepocalypse Community

The first settlers of Uranium City in the new age were not miners or workers but Nucleomancers—arcane practitioners who saw the potential in the sentient mines. They established the Radiant Circle, a loose guild of magic-users who experimented with the dangerous powers of radiation and magic. As word spread, more survivors arrived, many driven by desperation or the allure of power, and a fragile community began to form. The Cult of the Atom, a religious sect that worshipped the power of the atom as a divine force, soon followed, claiming that the Hodgepocalypse had been a holy event. They saw Uranium City as sacred ground.

The land was dangerous, not just from radiation but from the mutant creatures that emerged from the irradiated wilderness. The settlers forged a tenuous alliance to protect themselves, though power struggles quickly arose between the Radiant Circle and the Cult of the Atom. Over time, additional factions formed, each with its own goals: some seeking to exploit the mines for wealth, others trying to protect the fragile balance of the city from being destroyed by greed or madness.

The founding of post-Hodgepocalypse Uranium City was built on a delicate equilibrium between these influential groups, each vying for control of the Radiant Veins and the unique magic they provided. Now, the city is a dangerous but vital hub of magical activity, where life thrives despite—or perhaps because of—the ever-present threat of radiation and magical catastrophe.

The Factions

The Sentient Uranium Mines ("The Radiant Veins")

The Hodgepocalypse did not just replenish the mines under Uranium City; they were fundamentally changed, becoming semi-sentient. These "Radiant Veins" pulse with radioactive and magical energy, which has a will of its own. The deeper one goes, the more the mines communicate, luring explorers deeper with visions, hallucinations, or even whispering promises of power. The energy emitted by the mines has given rise to a new form of magic—Nucleomancy—a dangerous and volatile school of arcane power that only a few can wield without succumbing to madness or mutation.

The sentient mines can control the flow of uranium and magic, sometimes shifting the tunnels themselves, creating an ever-changing labyrinth for those seeking its riches or knowledge. These mines have their own goals, though—perhaps they want to expand, feeding off the life force of those who come too close, or they are trying to birth something monstrous deep within the earth.

Plot Hook:

The Radiant Veins begin to shift again, creating tremors across Uranium City and sending shockwaves of magical energy into the sky. As they emerge, local wizards and scavengers rush to claim new parts of the mines. Still, rumors spread that the Veins are awakening to a dangerous level of sentience, potentially heralding a catastrophic event. A faction might hire players to delve into the mines, or they could

The Nuclear Wizards (Nucleomancers)

The survivors who made Uranium City their home have harnessed the power of the sentient mines to become Nucleomancers—arcane practitioners who blend nuclear radiation with traditional magic. Nucleomancers can absorb and channel radiation as a source of magical energy, using it to cast powerful spells, but at significant personal risk. Prolonged exposure mutates their bodies, turning them into living conduits for nuclear and magical energy. Some even see these mutations as blessings akin to divine gifts from the "Radiant Veins."

Abilities of Nucleomancers:

• Rad Surge: Release bursts of radioactive energy that act as high-damage area-of-effect spells but with unpredictable side effects, such as causing nearby plants or creatures to mutate.
• Atomic Familiar: Nucleomancers often bind small, irradiated creatures—mutant animals or glowing insects—as familiars, who can act as messengers, scouts, or assist in spell casting.
• Mutagenic Shift: Nucleomancers can mutate their bodies temporarily to gain enhancements like extra limbs, increased speed, or stronger armor, but at the cost of their long-term health.

Plot Hook:

A faction of Nucleomancers within Uranium City has become too powerful, and its leader believes that fusing with the mines will grant them god-like power. The players might have to stop this, either out of fear of the consequences or because a rival faction seeks to exploit the power for its own gain.

The Cult of the Atom (Bomb Worshippers)

In the post-apocalyptic ruins of Uranium City, a bomb cult has arisen, but with a twist. These survivors worship the power of the atom, not as a destructive force, but as a creator of life—viewing radiation as a sacred energy that has transformed and "purified" them. They see the sentient mines and the nuclear magic as the work of a divine force, which they call "The Radiant One." They believe the Hodgepocalypse was a sacred act of cleansing, and their role is to spread the glow of this new power across the land.

The cult operates through rituals and sacrifices, offering gifts to the mines and tapping into the energy flows that pulse beneath the city. Their ceremonies might involve detonating small nuclear bombs as religious rites, believing the resulting radiation will bless the land with fertility—or, more likely, new and powerful mutants. Some cult members are Nucleomancers, while others are mutated zealots whose bodies have become walking radioactive shrines.

Beliefs and Practices:

• Atomic Ascension: The cult's ultimate goal is for its members to ascend by becoming fully irradiated beings of pure energy and shedding their physical forms.
• The Glow: They believe that prolonged exposure to radiation brings them closer to divinity, and high-ranking cult members often glow faintly or exhibit severe mutations.
• The Glow Children: The cult actively encourages the birth of mutated offspring, viewing such children as divine incarnations of the Radiant One's will.

Plot Hook:

The Cult of the Atom has begun to spread beyond Uranium City, bringing mutated missionaries to nearby settlements. They offer the "gift" of mutation and nuclear magic, promising eternal life through atomic ascension. The players are hired to investigate the cult’s activities, uncovering their disturbing rituals and perhaps learning of a dark prophecy about the Radiant One's return.

The Shifting Power Struggles (Factions of Uranium City)

Uranium City, though isolated, has become a hub of activity due to the power of the sentient mines and the growing influence of Nucleomancers and cults. Multiple factions vie for control of the city and its valuable resources:

• The Radiant Circle: A group of Nucleomancers who believe they are the rightful rulers of Uranium City, destined to unlock the mines’ full potential and wield nuclear magic as gods.
• The Atomic Priests: The leaders of the Cult of the Atom, who see themselves as shepherds of the Radiant One’s divine will. They view the mines as holy and seek to convert outsiders to their faith.
• The Free Mutants: A group of non-religious mutants living in the city's wasteland. They fight for their survival, scavenging what they can from the mines without falling into the religious fervor of the cult.
• The Regulators: A faction of mercenaries and traders who maintain a tenuous order in Uranium City, ensuring that the city’s resources can be harvested and sold to the outside world without being monopolized by any one faction.

Plot Hook:

A power struggle is brewing in Uranium City, with the Radiant Circle planning to seize complete control of the mines. The players might have to choose a side or be hired as mercenaries to maintain a balance of power, keeping any one faction from becoming too dominant.

Notable Figures of Uranium City

The ruins of Uranium City are filled with larger-than-life figures—some mutated, others merely mad—whose deeds and secrets have shaped the city's fate. Below is a collection of key NPCs you can introduce to fuel intrigue, conflict, and faction dynamics. Each comes with a built-in plot hook to spark adventure.

Anita “Scales” Desrosiers – Mutant Gang Leader

Affiliation: Free Mutants
Status: Alive, charismatic
Summary: Scales is so named for the reptilian plating running down her arms. She leads a gang of mutants known as the Shed, pushing back against exploitation and preaching mutant self-rule. Her tactics veer toward terrorism, but many see her as a folk hero of the wastes.

Plot Hook: Anita is planning a raid on a Radiant Circle shipment of “purifier serums.” Are they medicine or weapons to suppress mutation? The PCs must decide whether to aid, stop, or infiltrate her gang.

Ben McIntyre – The Mad Transmuter

Affiliation: Former scientist of the Ace Mine
Status: Presumed missing, possibly fused with the Radiant Veins
Summary: A pioneer of mutated spellcraft, Ben developed Atomic Infusion, a spell that mutates creatures temporarily. His obsession with forced evolution caused his disappearance after attempting a full-body merger with radioactive ooze.

Plot Hook: Ben's original research journal resurfaces, but it’s written in a radioactive cipher that mutates the mind of anyone who reads it. The players must find someone—or something—that can interpret it before it falls into the wrong hands.

Bobby Watt – The Burning Ghost

Affiliation: None; legend
Status: Dead, spectral
Summary: Accused of starting the Great Fire of '57 and said to haunt the Nuclear Cabin Courts, where lights flicker at night and spontaneous mutations occur.

Plot Hook: A faction wants to reopen the Nuclear Cabin Courts for trade. First, they hire the PCs to “exorcise” Bobby—but he’s not just a ghost. He’s a living radioactive echo and remembers the fire very differently...

Sister Callista – The Ash Archivist

Affiliation: The Chamber of Ash

Status: Alive, burdened

Summary: The last functioning bureaucrat of Uranium City’s council, Callista wears a lead veil and speaks in cold formalities. She catalogues irradiated relics and old-world knowledge, guarding them fiercely in the ash-choked halls. Rumors say she’s building a "doomsday ledger"—a written spell that can erase entire lineages.

Plot Hook: Someone has stolen a “sealed document” from the chamber. Sister Callista is hiring killers, scholars, or fools to retrieve it—but reading it may trigger an ancient uranium pact.

Dr. Cassandra Krylov – The Chain-Reactor Scholar

Affiliation: Atom Academy / Radiant Circle (Fringe)
Status: Alive, deeply curious
Summary: A high-ranking professor at the Atom Academy, Krylov teaches applied nucleomancy but is rumored to be building a theoretical “chain-reaction spell” that could rewrite matter at a molecular level. She’s cool, precise, and possibly playing both sides of the Radiant Circle–Cult of the Atom feud.

Plot Hook: A student with strange glowing mutations flees the Academy. Krylov hires the PCs to return them—but is it a rescue, a cover-up, or the final piece of her unstable spell?

Earl Dodds – The Gamma Shield

 Affiliation: Independent; retired spellcrafter of Nuclear Avenue
Status: Alive, reclusive
Summary: Created the protective Gamma Shield spell, but now lives in isolation, encased in layers of magically charged shielding. He's rumored to know secrets about the first nuclear awakenings.

Plot Hook: Dodds believes his shield is weakening and hires the PCs to repair it. But the materials he needs must be harvested from the heart of the Radiant Veins—and something in the mines wants them first.

Gilbert Labine & Steve Yanik – The Beta Gamma Brethren

Affiliation: Beta Gamma Mine
Status: Transformed; location unknown
Summary: Once miners, they uncovered a new deposit and returned as the harbingers of a town-wide mutation outbreak.

Plot Hook: People are mutating again, and all signs point to a resurgence of the Beta Gamma contagion. The PCs must find Gilbert and Steve—now semi-radiant beings in hiding—to extract a cure or put them down.

Gordon Timpson – The Toxic Prophet

Affiliation: Rogue cultist, former scientist
Status: Mutated, possibly undead
Summary: Created the infamous Timpson’s Cloud—a radioactive mist that still clings to parts of the city. Believed to have ascended into a “cloudborne” radiation entity.

Plot Hook: A mist matching the signature of Timpson’s Cloud begins rolling through Ghost Streets again. Survivors report hearing whispers. The PCs are sent to investigate whether Timpson is truly gone… or preparing a second catastrophe.

Helga Arsenault – The Memory Broker

Affiliation: Independent / Operates in Ghost Streets
Status: Alive, damaged
Summary: A former Radiant Circle archivist, she was exposed to a rogue psychic pulse from the Radiant Veins. Now, she trades in memories—literally—offering bits of the past in exchange for favors or secrets. Her mind is fracturing, but her information is invaluable.

Plot Hook: Helga has a memory fragment proving a faction leader is manipulating the city’s water supply. But to get it, the PCs must offer one of their memories… or find someone else's.

Mother Ash – The Glow-Midwife

Affiliation: Cult of the Atom
Status: Alive, worshipped by some
Summary: A high priestess of the Cult, she claims to help “birth the next radiant generation.” Her presence is comforting—until you notice her glowing eyes and the way Geiger counters scream around her. She delivers and cares for the Glow Children, but some say she makes them too.

Plot Hook: A child goes missing in the Glowstone Falls region. Locals blame Mother Ash, saying the baby was "called" to the cult. The PCs must track her down—but what if she’s protecting the child from something worse?

Ray King – Survivor of Clearwater

Affiliation: Cult of the Atom (former), now rogue wanderer
Status: Alive, unstable
Summary: Survivor of the Clearwater disaster who invented Atomic Shockwave. Believes the Radiant Veins speak directly to him, warning of a coming purge.

Plot Hook: Ray is constructing a doomsday beacon in the hills, claiming it will prevent the Radiant One’s return. The PCs must determine whether he’s mad… or the only one telling the truth.

Rene Bodais – The Shack Hermit

Affiliation: None
Status: Alive, mutated
Summary: Resides near the Box Mine ruins. Immune to most forms of radiation, but his body is deeply changed. Rumored to know how to commune directly with the Radiant Veins.

Plot Hook: A faction hires the players to “bring Rene in”—but he’s booby-trapped his shack and wants no part of civilization. He offers cryptic insight, and his memories may hold the key to calming the mines.

Sergeant Lise "Goatbomb" Tremblay – Demolitions Expert

Affiliation: The Regulators
Status: Alive, twitchy
Summary: Tremblay lost a hand to an unstable uranium charge—and replaced it with a magical detonation switch. Now she leads demolition raids with the glee of a pyromancer at a fire sale. Her loyalty to the Regulators is fierce, but her growing instability makes her dangerous to friend and foe alike.

Plot Hook: Tremblay has gone AWOL with a “blessed bomb” salvaged from an old Cult bunker. Her squad is missing. The PCs are sent to retrieve her… or stop her from nuking a faction outpost.

Therese Jelinski – The Radiant Engineer

Affiliation: Damgaard Building Research Facility
Status: Alive, ambitious
Summary: A ruthless researcher is developing nuclear beam spells (Radiant Burst) and experimenting with mutated wildlife near Beaverlodge Mountain. Her work walks the line between salvation and atrocity.

Plot Hook: A mutated creature escapes her lab, disrupting the fragile ecosystem and attracting attention from multiple factions. Jelinski offers a rich reward for its return—but others want it destroyed… or weaponized.

S.G.A. Hill – The White Fog

Affiliation: Ghostly legacy
Status: Deceased (or is he?)
Summary: Namesake of the S.G.A. Hill, where radioactive fog has taken dozens of lives. Some say Hill became part of the fog after his failed atmospheric containment experiments.

Plot Hook: Cat train crews are vanishing again. Survivors are found changed—mutated and babbling about “the Hill’s voice.” The PCs must traverse the fog and uncover what now lurks within.

Vera "Glow-Eyes" Blackwood – Prophet of the Glow

Affiliation: Cult of the Atom
Status: Alive, revered
Summary: Glowing with constant low-level radiation, Vera claims to receive dreams from the Radiant One. Her followers obey without question, and her gentle words hide apocalyptic intent. Some believe she’s a fraud, others that she’s the mouthpiece of a coming divine detonation.

Plot Hook: Vera publicly predicts a “holy flare” will consume part of the city in three days—and panic spreads. Is she bluffing? Is it sabotage? Or are the Radiant Veins responding to her will?

What They Eat in Uranium City

In Uranium City, food consists of scavenged pre-Hodgepocalypse rations, mutated flora and fauna, and cult-grown or magically infused sustenance. It's gritty, weird, and often glows slightly in the dark.

Protein Sources

• Radbeef: Descended from cattle left behind in the collapse. These mutated bovines have multiple stomachs, glow faintly near the horns, and taste like tough, metallic jerky unless slow-roasted underground.
• Glow Trout: Fish pulled from Glowstone Falls. The flesh is bioluminescent and needs to be soaked in vinegar and blessed with lead salts to be non-lethal. It is popular in "flash-fried" street tacos.
• Moledeer: This hybrid wildlife emerged post-Hodgepocalypse, grazing near irradiated salt licks. Their meat is oily and fibrous, and cooks often slather it in fermented mushroom paste.
• Varmint Stew: A catch-all stew made from whatever the Free Mutants drag in. Typically includes rodent-like creatures, beetles, or lizard analogues. Often spiced with soot and root-thistle.

Vegetable and Fungal Substitutes

• Ironcap Mushrooms: These are grown near the edges of the Radiant Veins and are believed to be an invasive species from the Vilna region of Alberta. They are tough and metallic-tasting but edible after boiling with acidic berries. They are used in stews or sliced thin like jerky.
• Radroots: Mutated tubers that resemble glowing yams. Taste ranges from peppery to sweet. Too much will make your teeth vibrate.
• Cinder Grain: A barley-like crop cultivated in ash-soaked gardens. Very dry and hard, but serves as the base for breads and moonshine.
• Cabbagebush: A tree-like cabbage that peels like bark. Cultivated in repurposed hydroponic tanks under glowing quartz.

Staple Dishes

• Glow Gumbo: A thick, spicy stew of radbeef, ironcaps, and mystery roots. The heat hides the radiation tingle.
• Atom Loaf: A glowing green meatloaf often served with a slab of dense mushroom bread. It's either sacred or disgusting, depending on who you ask.
• Fallout Flapjacks: Made from cinder grain and rehydrated powdered milk. Popular among miners and militia. Sometimes served with syrup made from irradiated beetle honey.
• Mutantoast: Toasted mushroom bread smeared with a spread of crushed rad roots and fungal oils. It's cheap and shelf-stable.

Drinks and Intoxicants

• Glowbrew: A faintly radioactive beer brewed by the Free Mutants using cinder grain and glowing hops. Causes hallucinations, mutations, or euphoria in small doses.
• Thermo-Tea: It’s the safest hot drink made from firethorn petals. Known to calm radiation sickness and clear the mind.
• Atomic Shine: Illegal but popular grain alcohol spiked with Glowstone water. Distilled behind lead-lined walls and said to give visions of “The Radiant One.”
• Nuke Cola (Vintage): Ancient cans of pre-Hodgepocalypse soda that still fizz. Cult of the Atom treats it as holy relics.

Taboo or Dangerous Foods

• Veinfruit: Glowing, heart-shaped pods that sometimes grow near the Radiant Veins. Beautiful and fragrant… and fatal without magical preparation.
• Ash Mush: A black paste sold in back alleys. Likely addictive. May contain spores from the Mutation Ward.
• Glow Children Candy: Bright-colored chewables sometimes made by Cult initiates. Causes temporary euphoric mutations. Possibly sentient.

Cultural Notes

• Lead-lined cookware is common in kitchens to prevent food from absorbing too much ambient magic radiation.
• Meals are often communal, partly for survival, partly due to superstition—sharing food wards off madness.
• Blessings before meals vary: Radiant Circle chants formulas, Cultists whisper praises to the Atom, Free Mutants spit in the fire and dig in.

Species of Uranium City

Other then human, these are the most likely species to appear, either as is or as they have been reskinned.

Bogey

 “You need a cursed gearshaft, a bottle of glowing hot sauce, and a map to the sixth basement of the Mutation Ward? Yeah, I might know a guy.”

Bogeys are a staple of the urban underbelly, creeping through the radioactive shadows of Uranium City’s alleys, junkyards, and ductwork. Small, wiry, and perpetually grimy, these goblin-like folk have adapted better than most to Uranium City’s magical fallout. With a knack for survival, scavenging, and shady deals, Bogeys don’t just live in the cracks—they own them.

Though often underestimated for their size or squeaky voices, many factions rely on Bogey ingenuity. Whether it’s building illegal telepathy rigs from washing machine parts, fermenting glow-wine in sewer tanks, or fencing pre-Hodgepocalypse tech to cultists, Bogeys are the invisible arteries that keep the city’s weird heart pumping.

Fate Fugitives

 “I’ve died once already. This time, I’m choosing how the story ends.”

Wreathed in the shimmer of a path not taken, Fate Fugitives are souls untethered from their original destinies. Born of paradox and rebirth, these beings are survivors of cosmic escape—a rebellion against divine design, narrative prophecy, or planar judgment. In Uranium City, where the rules of reality already bend under radiation and magic, Fate Fugitives Walk openly among ghosts, cultists, and forgotten prophecies.

Their presence disturbs and inspires in equal measure. A Fate Fugitive may appear no different from a traveler or a castaway. Still, those who look closer notice the signs: eyes that flicker with timelines, voices that echo with possibility, and an aura that makes fate-warped seers physically ill.

Kamidaver

 “Death is for quitters. I’m just getting warmed up.”

In a city built on glowing rubble and shattered legacies, Kamidavers stand as grim legends—undead daredevils who walk, run, and crash through the radioactive streets with unholy swagger. Originally shock troops of the Fallen Lords' mechanized necromantic armies, Kamidavers broke free during the Necromantic Wars and now live un-lives defined by chaos, honor, and high-velocity impact.

Where others fear the Radiant Veins or Cult of the Atom's twisted experiments, Kamidavers smile. They are undead thrill-seekers, grave-punk mercs, and walking contradictions: stitched-together corpses who wear designer shades, quote action movies, and keep emergency autograph cards tucked in their boots.

In Uranium City, they operate as stunt-runners, cult icons, or grim enforcers. Some run illegal thrill-circuits through collapsing reactor ruins. Others serve as bodyguards for high-risk diplomats, who know that a Kamidaver, once hired, won’t stop protecting them even after technically dying.

Malarkoids

 “We’re not from around here. But this place? It’s got vibe.”

A Malarkoid walking through Uranium City is hard to miss—cloaked in mystery (and sometimes an actual cloak), softly floating through rad-choked ruins, and chatting about obscure pop songs no one's heard in 150 years. Whether they’re truly extraterrestrials or just deeply confused, mutated post-humans, nobody knows for sure—and that includes most Malarkoids themselves.

What is certain: Malarkoids are brilliant, bizarre, and dangerously inventive. They’re often found in junkyard labs, Radiant Circle outposts, or blasting helium-propelled prototypes through the collapsed skyport. With a natural affinity for tinkering, improvising, and destabilizing, Malarkoids are often behind Uranium City’s least stable miracle devices—and its most unlikely breakthroughs.

Transband

 “Don’t ask where I found it. Just be glad it still sparks.”

Transband—commonly called TrashBands—are hyperactive raccoon mutants with twitchy hands, glowing goggles, and a moral compass calibrated to "chaotic helpful." Born from post-fallout mutation and pure scavenger grit, Transband are wasteland wisdom gremlins: equal parts rogue, engineer, and goblin raccoon messiah. In Uranium City, they fill every crevice and crawlspace the bigger folk can’t. They run underground info networks, tech scrapyards, and radiation-enhanced salvage bazaars. If it’s missing, glowing, broken, or cursed, a Transband can probably get it—and trade it back to you with "only mild markups."

Vamps

 “Blood is memory. Radiance is eternity. Both… are delicious.”

In the flickering neon of Uranium City, Vamps are impossible to ignore. They glide through the Glowstone-lit alleyways in tattered finery, cloaked in charisma and secrets. Their breath smells faintly of copper and ozone. Their laughter echoes from balconies above plutonium speakeasies and atomic cathedrals.

Once the errand boys of true vampire nobility, Vamps have survived the death of empires, the fall of human civilization, and the Hodgepocalypse itself. Now free agents feed not just on blood, but on radiation, ambition, and style. In Uranium City, they’ve embraced mutation as fashion, eternity as currency, and suffering as an art form.

Many have aligned with the Cult of the Atom, drinking irradiated blood in candlelit ceremonies beneath the Chamber of Ash. Others run exclusive clubs, ghost press agencies, or radiation-chic fashion boutiques where the glowing never goes out of style.

Areas of Note

The Abandoned Townsite (Ghost Streets)

 Real-World Basis: Much of Uranium City was abandoned in the 1980s, leaving empty homes and facilities behind.
Hodgepocalypse Version: Now called the Ghost Streets, the old townsite is a twisted maze of decaying homes, empty schools, and skeletal infrastructure. Strange, ghostly apparitions made from radiation and magic haunt the streets at night, and scavengers claim the very air warps your perception. Most people avoid the area, but the ruins still hold valuable pre-Hodgepocalypse technology.
Plot Hook: Rumors of a hidden cache of pre-Hodgepocalypse tech deep in the Ghost Streets spread through the city, attracting treasure hunters. However, these irradiated spirits are more than echoes of the past; they guard the streets fiercely. The players must brave the illusions, discover the truth behind the cache, and who left the spirits behind as guardians.

d6 Random Weirdness in the Ghost Streets:

1. A school bus haunted by giggling spirits plays twisted nursery rhymes.
2. A streetlight flickers in Morse code, transmitting a pre-war emergency signal.
3. A feral child with glowing eyes leads scavengers into a trap.
4. A weather anomaly—acid snow that whispers secrets.
5. A pack of two-headed raccoons nests in a former coffee shop.
6. The air hums with static; magic malfunctions for 1 hour.

Candu High School (The Atom Academy)

 Real-World Basis: Once the center of community life, the high school is now abandoned.
Hodgepocalypse Version: Candu High has been repurposed into the Atom Academy, where aspiring Nucleomancers are trained to harness the magic-radiation hybrid power. Classes are filled with dangerous experiments, and mutated students roam the halls. The academy is also a political battleground, where rival factions attempt to recruit the next generation of nuclear wizards.
Plot Hook: A powerful student with a rare ability has gone missing, and the head of the academy hires the players to track them down. The search reveals that the student has been kidnapped by the Cult of the Atom, who believe they are destined to become the vessel of the Radiant One.

Eldorado Mine (The Radiant Veins)

Real-World Basis: Eldorado Mine was the primary uranium mine, which fueled the town's development.
Hodgepocalypse Version: The mine is now an unpredictable, semi-sentient labyrinth. Its tunnels constantly shift, and its walls pulse with radioactive energy, seemingly alive. The deeper you go, the stronger the magic—and the more dangerous the mutations that arise.
Plot Hook: A powerful Nucleomancer attempts to communicate with the mines, believing they can unlock its full power. However, strange and deadly hallucinations begin to spread through the town, and players must delve into the mine to find the source and stop it before the entire city falls under its sway.

Gunnar River Dam (The Glowstone Falls)

Real-World Basis: The Gunnar River Dam was an important energy source for the town, providing hydroelectric power.
Hodgepocalypse Version: The dam has been warped by radiation and magic, and the once-clear river is now a glowing, irradiated flow known as Glowstone Falls. The water glows with magical energy and has been known to transform those who bathe in it, either blessing them with power or cursing them with grotesque mutations. A cult has built shrines along the riverbanks, and disputes over access to its magical properties have led to skirmishes.
Plot Hook: The dam’s control systems have been malfunctioning, causing unpredictable floods of irradiated water. The Cult of the Atom claims it's a sign from their deity, while the Regulators suspect sabotage. The players must navigate both factions to fix the dam and prevent a catastrophic overflow that could drown Uranium City in radioactive sludge.

St. Joseph’s Hospital (The Mutation Ward)

Real-World Basis: St. Joseph’s Hospital was the leading medical center, providing care for miners and residents.
Hodgepocalypse Version: The hospital is now known as the Mutation Ward, where the mutated and irradiated come for care, experimentation, or containment. It’s run by a faction of rogue scientists and healers who attempt to study and reverse the mutations caused by the Radiant Veins and the Glowstone Falls. Patients here are a mixture of those seeking help and those embracing their new, mutated forms. Some are too far gone, becoming dangerous abominations.
Plot Hook: The hospital staff is losing control of the mutation outbreaks within the ward as patients’ transformations accelerate in unpredictable ways. The players are called in to investigate whether someone is tampering with the radiation levels or if the Radiation Veins themselves are causing the mutations to spiral out of control.

Uranium City Airport (The Ruined Skyport)

Real-World Basis: The airport served as a lifeline to the remote community, providing access to supplies and transport in and out of the region.
Hodgepocalypse Version: Now, the ruined airport is a hub for scavengers, traders, and mercenaries. Aircraft that survived the Hodgepocalypse are repaired with magic-infused tech, turning them into hybrid flying machines that run on magical energy and leftover nuclear fuel. The airport is a key strategic location, but it’s run by a faction of smugglers who charge heavy tolls for anyone looking to fly.
Plot Hook: The Radiant Circle needs an ancient artifact hidden in a neighboring wasteland, but only the smugglers at the Skyport have the means to fly there. The players must negotiate a risky deal or sabotage a rival's aircraft to secure their flight—and ensure the Skyport’s cutthroat operators do not double-cross them.

Uranium City Council Building (The Chamber of Ash)

 

Real-World Basis: The old uranium hotel

Hodgepocalypse Version: Now known as the Chamber of Ash, the council building is a ruin, still bearing the marks of the magical and nuclear fallout. What remains of the government operates from here, though it’s little more than a collection of power-hungry bureaucrats and mercenaries vying for control of Uranium City. The council building holds vital records, maps, and artifacts before the Hodgepocalypse.

Plot Hook: One of the council members, rumored to have ties to the Radiant Veins, has gone missing. The city’s factions seek to fill the power vacuum, and players are hired to find the council member before the city descends into chaos. Along the way, they uncover clues that the missing leader may have been experimenting with dark Nucleomancy.

Most Common Character Options in Uranium City

These options thrive naturally in Uranium City's hazardous, faction-fueled, radioactive madness. They are either attracted to the Veins, born from them, or forced to adapt to their chaos.

Adventurer: Scrap Foot

 

Why Common: The ruins of Uranium City sprawl far and wide—and survival often depends on who can get there first. Scrap Foots are road warriors, courier jockeys, and convoy guardians. Their love of speed, terrain-savvy instincts, and knack for salvaging parts from moving wrecks make them invaluable in a city stitched together by fuel, trade, and desperation.

In the World: Found riding escort for Regulator caravans, hauling black market goods across Glowstone-choked causeways, or bartering roadside junk with Free Mutant scavengers. Scrap Foots are equal parts grease monkey and daredevil, often seen tuning up patched-together dirt bikes or skate-trucks before racing into another irradiated dust storm. Whether part of a biker gang, a salvage crew, or just a loner with a map and a gas can—they move.

Adventurer: Troubleshooter

Why Common: Uranium City breaks—a lot, and someone needs to fix it. Troubleshooters are valuable because they can disarm a nuclear trap, jury-rig a broken rad-cart, or throw together a bomb out of soup cans and a cursed potato.

In the World: Regarded with suspicion and admiration. You'll find them working for scavenger crews, mine expeditions, or as freelance tinkerers who "defuse problems"—literally or with creative application of firepower.

Channeler: Faustian Mechanic

 Why Common: Uranium City is a hotspot of tech/magic fusion, and Faustian Mechanics is the closest you'll get to mad scientists channeling unstable energies through jury-rigged machines. They're everywhere—tinkering with rad-powered drones, cobbling together spell gadgets, or selling malfunctioning “safety” devices at market.

In the World: Often aligned with the Radiant Circle or independent researchers. They build glowing gizmos from salvage and are both revered and blamed for half the disasters in town.

Channeler: IsoChamp

 Why Common: Uranium City is drenched in radiation, and only the strong—or the transformed—survive. IsoChamps channel that energy directly into themselves, becoming living paladins of fallout and mutation. They serve as radiant knights of the apocalypse, glowing beacons of hope (or terror) empowered by the mutagenic grace of the Radiant Veins or the Cult of the Atom’s twisted blessings.

In the World: IsoChamps often act as champions of the Cult of the Atom, mutant warlords, or independent glow-prophets seeking to uplift the weak through radiant trials. Some operate as frontline healers, soaking up elemental devastation to empower their allies. Others walk the wastelands like mutated messiahs, reshaping the world with every step. Whether revered, feared, or hunted—IsoChamps never walk in shadow. They shine.

Combatant: Brute (Traditional or New Age)

 

Why Common: The city draws violent types like flies to a radioactive carcass. Brutes are enforcers, raiders, mutant gang members, or Cult zealots with oversized weapons and oversized tempers.

In the World: Found in the ranks of The Free Mutants, hired muscle for the Regulators, or duelists in the slagpit arenas. Traditional Brutes tend to go feral faster; New Age Brutes sometimes pilot powered scrapmechs.

Combatant: Commander

Why Common: Someone has to take charge in a city balanced on the edge of radioactive collapse. Commanders are combat leaders, militia captains, and battlefield tacticians who carve out fragile order in a world that resists it. Whether barking orders over crackling radios or leading last stands against mutant hordes, Commanders impose discipline where chaos reigns.

In the World: Rare, but essential—Commanders can be found within Regulator detachments, paramilitary enclaves, or splinter militias trying to hold fractured neighborhoods together. Some are ex-soldiers turned community leaders; others are tacticians for hire who keep their squads alive through sheer grit and brutal efficiency. In Uranium City, a Commander might be the only thing standing between a scavenger crew and total annihilation—or the architect of the next civil war.

Psychic: Eruptor

Why Common: Uranium City is emotionally and magically volatile, drawing or creating Eruptors. Their elemental power often manifests due to exposure to the Radiant Veins or Glowstone Falls.

In the World. They are treated with fear and awe. Some believe the Radiant One chooses them, others see them as walking time bombs. They might work as living weapons for factions or as rogue, unpredictable loners.

Psychic: Mentalist

Why Common: In a city steeped in secrets, those who can pry them loose with a thought are invaluable. Mentalists are the mind-benders, truth-rippers, and cerebral infiltrators of Uranium City. They twist perception, invade memories, and reshape behavior—not with machines or magic, but through raw psychic force. In a world where trust is a currency, Mentalists know everyone’s balance.

In the World: Mentalists often serve as interrogators, con artists, or street prophets, drifting between factions or carving out their own niches. Some work for the Regulators or Radiant Circle, ensuring loyalty without a single word spoken. Others operate independently, selling truths and illusions for favors or Glowshards. Feared, respected, and often misunderstood, Mentalists are the quiet power behind many of the city’s most pivotal moments.

Psychic: Rocker

Why Common: In a city soaked in radiation and sorrow, sound still moves the soul. Rockers are psychics who channel mental energy through music—ripping minds open with sheer sonic force. Whether performing on stage in a glowing bar or unleashing a psychic solo mid-battle, Rockers electrify the air around them. Their powers resonate with the fractured psyche of Uranium City’s people, who crave rhythm in the chaos.

In the World: Rockers are cult icons, underground prophets, or post-apocalyptic pop stars. Some lead mutated fringe bands that inspire street revolutions; others serve as psychic shock troops for factions like the Radiant Circle or the Cult of the Atom. Their instruments are sacred relics—often wired with broken tech, infused with psychic crystal, or patched with Glowstone filaments. In Uranium City, they’re entertainers, agitators, and artillery—and sometimes all three at once.

Ritualist: Magister

Why Common: In a city where arcane radiation warps both flesh and fact, someone has to understand it. Magisters are scholars of structured magic, obsessed with stability in the unstable. They pore over irradiated grimoires, deciphering lost equations of power, and cataloging mutation phenomena that would melt lesser minds. In a city built on radioactive mystery, knowledge is control—and Magisters intend to hold both.

In the World: Magisters often serve as senior researchers, vault archivists, or mutation theorists within the Radiant Circle. Some operate private labs carved from Glowstone-rich ruins, hoarding magical secrets behind wards and wards of lead-lined sigils. They treat Labineite crystals like gold and approach magic like a mix of religion, science, and old-world bureaucracy. Brilliant, arrogant, and often heavily mutated—they're tolerated because they make the lights stay on… even if they talk to them sometimes.

Ritualist: Nucleomancer

 Why Common: The Radiant Veins call to them—and they answer. Nucleomancers are the natural consequence of combining arcane tradition with raw, mutagenic radiation. Whether drawn to Uranium City for research, salvation, or transformation, they are among town's most respected (and feared) ritualists. Some heal. Some warp. All glow.
In the World: Found at the heart of the Radiant Circle, deep in the Mutation Ward, or operating as freelance medics-for-hire. They're equal parts scholar, healer, and atomic horror. Many walk the line between savior and contaminant—transforming allies or enemies with the same deadly precision.

Plot Hooks

1. Radiation Shifts and Power Struggles: The Radiant Veins have begun shifting, causing strange radiation surges that alter the local geography. A faction of Nucleomancers believes they can harness this phenomenon to achieve godlike power. Rival groups hire the PCs to investigate the mines, either to stop the Nucleomancers or secure the power for themselves before it’s too late.
2. The Vanishing Radiant Circle Leader: The leader of the Radiant Circle, a powerful Nucleomancer, has gone missing under mysterious circumstances. It’s believed that they’ve uncovered a method to communicate directly with the Radiant Veins, and factions are scrambling to find them. The players are hired to investigate their disappearance, discovering dark secrets about the mine’s sentient nature.
3. The Cult's Prophecy: The Cult of the Atom has uncovered an ancient prophecy within the mines, claiming that the "Radiant One" will return soon in a new, more powerful form. An outsider faction hires the players to infiltrate the cult and retrieve or sabotage the prophecy before it can bring about an apocalypse. Along the way, the players may learn that the prophecy isn’t as apocalyptic as it seems—it might be the key to stabilizing the city.
4. Tech Salvage and Hidden Knowledge: Amidst the Ghost Streets, an ancient technological artifact is rumored to be buried deep within the city's ruins. It is possibly a pre-Hodgepocalypse invention that could reverse the dangerous effects of radiation. A scholar or tech faction hires the players to retrieve it, but they must contend with hazardous mutated inhabitants and the restless spirits of those who once lived in the town.
5. The Atomic Awakening: The Glowstone Falls have started to behave erratically, causing strange mutations in those who bathe in the water. A former ally of the Radiant Veins believes that the falls are becoming an uncontrollable force of nuclear magic and is seeking help to stop it before it spreads. The players must navigate between factions with competing interests in harnessing the power of the falls and uncover the truth behind its awakening.

Reasons for PCs to Visit Uranium City

1. The Promise of Wealth and Power: The Radiant Veins offer the allure of untold power, both magical and material. Survivors and treasure hunters worldwide come to Uranium City for uranium veins rich with potent magical energy that can be harnessed for spells or advanced technology.
2. Mystery and Ancient Knowledge: Scholars or power-hungry factions could send the PCs to Uranium City to uncover lost knowledge about pre-Hodgepocalypse technology and arcane mysteries hidden deep within the mines. The sentient mines are a repository of forgotten lore, with secrets that, if understood, could change the fate of the world.
3. Political Intrigue and Faction Warfare: Uranium City has become a battleground for multiple factions vying for control over the city’s resources. One of the factions could hire the PCs, or they might choose to play both sides against the middle, manipulating the power struggles for their gain.
4. Urgent Mission: The Cult of the Atom has captured a family member, friend, or loved one and taken them to Uranium City. The PCs may need to venture into the irradiated and dangerous city to rescue them, learning that the cult’s influence extends farther than they first believed.
5. A Dark Prophecy or Curse: The PCs could be drawn to Uranium City after encountering a dangerous curse or a prophetic vision that ties their fate to the mines. Whether seeking to break the curse or prevent a catastrophic future, their journey through Uranium City will reveal unsettling truths about their world.